Highlights from NCCN 19th Annual Conference Include Expert Roundtables, Presentation of Updated Treatment Guidelines
More than 1,300 oncology representatives attended the NCCN 19th Annual Conference, which featured presentations of the latest developments in the treatment of more than 15 cancer types, as well as two expert roundtable discussions.
FORT WASHINGTON, PA — The NCCN 19th Annual Conference: Advancing the Standard of Cancer Care™ was hosted by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network® (NCCN®) from March 13 – 15, 2014 at the Westin Diplomat in Hollywood, Florida. The latest updates in clinical practice decision-making were presented, including, but not limited to, updates to the NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines®) for breast, non-small cell lung, and prostate cancers, chronic myelogenous leukemia, and melanoma, as well as other advancements in patient management and supportive care.
This year’s conference commenced with opening remarks from Robert W. Carlson, MD, Chief Executive Officer, NCCN, followed by the first of two expert roundtables, titled, The Child’s Experience When a Parent has Cancer. Moderated by Lillie D. Shockney, RN, BS, MAS, The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, this roundtable explored communication strategies for parents and clinicians to implement in order to ensure that a child is appropriately prepared when a parent is diagnosed with cancer.
Attendees of the conference had the opportunity to attend presentations on more than 15 disease types, as well as patient management and supportive care topics. Among the topics presented on Thursday, March 13, NCCN Guidelines® Panel Member, Heather Hampel, MS, CGC, The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute, presented Genetic Counseling in Patients with Familial Risk for Colorectal Cancer, a topic that was translated into the new NCCN Guidelines for Genetic/Familial High-Risk Assessment: Colorectal in February 2014.
A point/counterpoint presentation was held on Friday, March 14, 2014, titled, Early Detection of Prostate Cancer – Do the Benefits Outweigh the Consequences? During this session, Peter R. Carroll, MD, MPH, UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center; and Andrew J. Vickers, PhD, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, discussed the controversy of over-screening in prostate cancer, emphasizing the importance of selective early detection and selective treatment, based patient factors, including, but not limited to, age, overall health and comorbidities, and risk factors. In addition, Drs. Carroll and Vickers explained that, while prostate cancer screening remains controversial, the NCCN Guidelines for Prostate Cancer Early Detection limit over-detection and over-treatment.
On Friday, the general session commenced with an expert roundtable, titled, The Affordable Care Act: Where are We Now? Clifford Goodman, PhD, The Lewin Group, led seven panel members representing various facets of the oncology field in a discussion of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), considering its effect on the oncology landscape, and assessment of risk for providers, payers, and patients.
According to the panel, risk is not only eminent for payers and providers, but also for patients. Quality of care is a major concern, explained W. Thomas Purcell, MD, MBA, University of Colorado Cancer Center, as patients with rare diseases present at academic cancer centers. Their narrow networks do not cover the comprehensive care needed at the academic level and they are paying out of pocket, said Dr. Purcell.
Also held on site during the NCCN 19th Annual Conference were the 2014 Nursing Program: Advancing Oncology Nursing™, the 2014 Fellows Recognition Program: New Horizons in Quality Cancer Care™, four Meet the Experts breakout sessions, the third annual State Oncology Society Forum, and general poster sessions, which included the 2012 NCCN Foundation Young Investigator Award recipients, among others.
Complete summaries of the NCCN expert roundtables are available at NCCN.org.
The NCCN 20th Annual Conference is scheduled for March 12 – 15, 2015, in Hollywood, Florida.
About the National Comprehensive Cancer Network
The National Comprehensive Cancer Network® (NCCN®), a not-for-profit alliance of 25 of the world’s leading cancer centers devoted to patient care, research, and education, is dedicated to improving the quality, effectiveness, and efficiency of cancer care so that patients can live better lives. Through the leadership and expertise of clinical professionals at NCCN Member Institutions, NCCN develops resources that present valuable information to the numerous stakeholders in the health care delivery system. As the arbiter of high-quality cancer care, NCCN promotes the importance of continuous quality improvement and recognizes the significance of creating clinical practice guidelines appropriate for use by patients, clinicians, and other health care decision-makers.
The NCCN Member Institutions are: Fred and Pamela Buffett Cancer Center at The Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE; City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Los Angeles, CA; Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women’s Cancer Center | Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Boston, MA; Duke Cancer Institute, Durham, NC; Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA; Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT; Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center/Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, Seattle, WA; The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, Baltimore, MD; Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University, Chicago, IL; Mayo Clinic Cancer Center, Phoenix/Scottsdale, AZ, Jacksonville, FL, and Rochester, MN; Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY; Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL; The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center - James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute, Columbus, OH; Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY; Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO; St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital/The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN; Stanford Cancer Institute, Stanford, CA; University of Alabama at Birmingham Comprehensive Cancer Center, Birmingham, AL; UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center, La Jolla, CA; UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, San Francisco, CA; University of Colorado Cancer Center, Aurora, CO; University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center, Ann Arbor, MI; The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX; Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Nashville, TN; and Yale Cancer Center/Smilow Cancer Hospital, New Haven, CT.
Clinicians, visit NCCN.org. Patients and caregivers, visit NCCN.org/patients.
Katie Kiley Brown, NCCN
215.690.0238
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